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Canadian Pacific announces 2009 Holiday Train campaign for food pantries

by Canadian Pacific Railway

WillyPorter.com NOTE: Willy will be joining the train from 12/7 through the last US date on 12/17, all highlighted below.

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Canadian Pacific's brightly decorated Holiday Train returns to the rails in late November, raising food, money and awareness for food banks across North America. Last year, the Holiday Train helped raise more than $500,000 and 250,000 lbs of food and there is greater need this year.

"Canadian Pacific is proud to support communities where we operate, raising more than $4 million in funds and two million pounds of food in the Holiday Train's first decade," said CP President and CEO Fred Green. "Each year, the Holiday Train's message gets stronger and the impact on our employees and in communities becomes more meaningful."

At each stop, Canadian Pacific provides a brightly decorated train, a box car converted into a stage, great musical talent and a corporate contribution to the local food bank. The community, in turn, rallies together at this free event - donating food and funds, all of which stays in their community.

Noting that food shelf visits have grown by 40% this year in Minnesota, Second Harvest Heartland spokesperson, Joan Wadkins, praised the Holiday Train hunger relief outreach, adding that "half of those visits are from families with children, and many of them are first time users of the food shelf."

"The Holiday Train is a great treat for families, and a great partner in reminding us that some of our neighbors - particularly now - are actually missing meals." said Wadkins. Last year, the St. Paul stop generated more than $10,000 in donations, and more than $90,000 in grocery products delivered to hungry families.

A diverse array of musicians will headline the US Holiday Train stage this year. Join Prescott and Adam Puddington with their blend of country, rock and blues for the American tour. Blues-rocker Shaun Verreault lends his virtuosic vocals and guitar to the tour from November 28 - December 6. Genre defying Wisconsin singer/songwriter and guitar wizard Willy Porter rounds out the tour December 7 to 18.

"Across North America, wherever there are people who are in need of food, there are communities dedicated to feeding that need" said Verreault. "The Holiday Train helps communities help each other, not just during the holiday season, but year round and I'm honored to help supply the soundtrack to such an inspiring program."

Over 40 American cities, towns and villages will experience the Holiday Train spirit, starting in Scranton, PA on November 28 and concluding in Carpio, ND on December 17. For the first time, the US Holiday Train will visit South Dakota communities where the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation, a CP subsidiary, operates.

Complete schedule details, downloads, pictures and video for the 2009 Holiday Train can be found on www.cpr.ca

About Canadian Pacific:

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, remains committed to being the safest, most fluid railway in North America. Our people are the key to delivering innovative transportation solutions to our customers and to ensuring the safe operation of our trains through the more than 1,100 communities where we operate. Come and visit us at www.cpr.ca to see how we can put our ingenuity to work for you. Canadian Pacific is proud to be the official rail freight services provider for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Editors please note: For detailed schedules, musicians' biographies and photos, a route map and downloadable pictures of the train, visit www.cpr.ca and click the Holiday Train icon.

    2009 CP Holiday Train Schedule - United States

	

	    Schedule is subject to change

	    All times are local

	

	    Thursday, November 26

	    New York

	    Rouses Point - 11:00 p.m., Rouses Point Station

	

	    Saturday, November 28

	    Pennsylvania

	    Scranton - 5:30 p.m., Steamtown Railroad Museum, Lackawanna Ave.

	

	    New York

	    Binghamton - 8:45 p.m., CP East Binghamton Rail Yard, Conklin Ave.

	

	    Sunday, November 29

	    New York

	    Oneonta - 3:15 p.m., Gas Avenue railroad crossing

	    Cobleskill - 6:15 p.m., Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 Main Street

	    Delanson - 8:00 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing

	    Schenectady - 9:30 p.m., Maxon Road

	

	    Monday, November 30

	    New York

	    Saratoga Springs - 12:00 p.m., Amtrak Station

	    Fort Edward - 1:45 p.m., Amtrak Station

	    Whitehall - 3:15 p.m., Amtrak Station

	    Ticonderoga - 5:00 p.m., Pell's Crossing, Amtrak Waiting Area, Route 74

	    (Fort Ti Road)

	    Port Henry - 6:30 p.m., Amtrak Station, West side stop

	    Plattsburgh - 9:15 p.m., Amtrak Station

	

	    Saturday, December 5

	    Illinois

	    Gurnee - 5:15 p.m., Viking Middle School Park, 4460 Old Grand Ave.

	

	    Wisconsin

	    Sturtevant - 7:00 p.m., New Amtrak Depot, 9900 E. Exploration Ct.

	    Hartland - 9:30 p.m., parking lot adjacent to Cottonwood Ave. and Pawling

	    Ave.

	

	    Sunday, December 6

	    Wisconsin

	    Portage - 1:30 p.m., Amtrak Station, 400 West Oneida St.

	    Wisconsin Dells - 3:00 p.m., Amtrak Depot, 100 La Crosse St.

	    Mauston - 4:30 p.m., Division Street railroad crossing

	    Sparta - 7:00 p.m., Corner of S. Water St. and Milwaukee St. (south side

	    of the tracks).

	    La Crosse - 9:15 p.m., Amtrak Station, 601 Saint Andrew St.

	

	
	    Monday, December 7

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Rochester - 12:45 p.m., end of 16th Avenue N.W., next to the Barlow

	
	    Hy-vee Grocery Store

	
	    Owatonna - 4:45 p.m., location to be announced

	
	    Waseca - 7:15 p.m., location to be announced

	
	    Janesville - 7:15 p.m., location to be announced

	

	
	    Tuesday, December 8

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Tracy - 1:15 p.m., location to be announced

	

	
	    South Dakota

	
	    Brookings - 5:00 p.m., location to be announced

	
	    Huron - 9:30 p.m., location to be announced

	

	
	    Wednesday, December 9

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Springfield - 5:45 p.m., location to be announced

	
	    New Ulm - 7:45 p.m., location to be announced

	

	
	    Thursday, December 10

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Austin - 11:15 a.m., location to be announced

	

	
	    Iowa

	
	    Mason City - 2:45 p.m., location to be announced

	
	    Marquette - 9:45 p.m., Marina parking lot, north of Lady Luck Casino at

	
	    Water St. & Hwy 76

	

	
	    Friday, December 11

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    La Crescent - 2:30 p.m., The Commodore Food & Spirit Parking Lot, 215 S.

	
	    Chestnut St.

	
	    Winona - 5:15 p.m., Amtrak Station, 65 East Mark St.

	
	    Wabasha - 7:15 p.m., Gambie Avenue railroad crossing by Bruegger Park

	
	    Lake City - 9:00 p.m., Hearth & Home Technologies, 800 West Jefferson St.

	

	
	    Saturday, December 12

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Hastings - 4:15 p.m., CP Depot, 500 East Second St.

	
	    Cottage Grove - 5:45 p.m., West Point Douglas Road, in front of the Youth

	
	    Service Bureau

	
	    St. Paul - 7:15 p.m., Central Parking System parkade ramp at Kellogg &

	
	    Broadway in Lowertown

	
	    Minneapolis - 9:30 p.m., CP Shoreham Yard, 2800 Central Avenue NE

	

	
	    Monday, December 14

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Loretto - 4:30 p.m., Hennepin County Road 19 railroad crossing/Chippewa

	
	    Trail

	
	    Buffalo - 6:00 p.m., 612 NE 3rd Ave., behind McDonald's on Highway 55

	
	    Annandale - 7:30 p.m., West side of Downtown Park over Oak Ave. railroad

	
	    crossing

	
	    Eden Valley - 9:15 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing, State Highway 22

	

	
	    Tuesday, December 15

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Alexandria - 1:00 p.m., Eighth Ave. East railroad crossing by Hubbard

	
	    Feed Mill

	
	    Detroit Lakes - 4:30 p.m., Holmes St. railroad crossing near the Holmes

	
	    Community Center

	
	    Thief River Falls - 8:15 p.m., CP Depot near City Hall, 2017 Highway 59

	
	    SE

	

	
	    Wednesday, December 16

	
	    Minnesota

	
	    Elbow Lake - 4:45 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing

	

	
	    North Dakota

	
	    Hankinson - 7:00 p.m., American Legion parking lot, 122 1st St. (Main St.

	
	    railroad crossing north side of track)

	
	    Enderlin - 9:45 p.m., CP Depot, 101 Harvest Lane

	

	
	    Thursday, December 17

	
	    North Dakota

	
	    Harvey - 4:30 p.m., CP Depot, 600 Lincoln Ave.

	
	    Minot - 7:30 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing

	
	    Carpio - 9:30 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing


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